Genetics in television and films

SIGNIFICANCE: Popular culture expresses attitudes regarding genetics. Most genetic depictions in these media are more entertaining than accurate. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, the explosion of reality television has provided society with a few more accurate portrayals of genetics, particularly of individuals who have genetic conditions.

Science Fiction

In the 1950s, science-fiction films and television programming gradually incorporated references to genetics. The expansion of biotechnology research in the 1970s inspired fictional plots that focused on genetics to amuse audiences more than educate them. Science-fiction films and television programs usually depict genetics as a wondrous endeavor that can abruptly go awry. Plots frequently contrast extremes, such as good and evil scientists pitted against each other or combating corrupt administrators and greedy entrepreneurs. Many depictions of genetics perpetuate stereotypes such as mad scientists isolated in laboratories and unaccountable to humankind for their research and creations. A host of biotechnological monsters and mutants populate films. In 2018, characters in the film Rampage must protect humanity from genetically engineered, monster animals that include a gorilla; references are made to the real-life gene-editing tool CRISPR.

DNA and Identity

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, a television series that first aired in 2000 and ran until 2015 (in addition to spawning several spin-offs, such as CSI: Miami, which aired from 2002–12) is representative of crime-based television shows that became popular in the late 1990s, in part because of public fascination with the O. J. Simpson murder trial and other high-profile cases in which DNA evidence was showcased in the media. Both episodic drama programming and true-crime shows such as Cold Case Files rely on sets that are filled with genetic tools. Scenes depict characters collecting DNA samples from crime scenes and evaluating the tissues in laboratories to identify victims, prove criminals’ guilt, or exonerate the falsely accused.

Soap-opera writers often appropriate genetics as a plot device. Characters test DNA to confirm paternity, establish identity, or prove a person’s presence at a crime scene. In 2002, Days of Our Lives introduced a story line involving the genetically engineered Gemini Twins, who displayed previously undocumented DNA patterns.

Cloning Characters

Clones are often depicted as evil creatures that prey on humans. The feature film The Boys from Brazil (1978) reveals the potential horrific results if Nazi sympathizers successfully cloned Adolf Hitler. Clones are sometimes shown to be dutiful, almost robotic, helpers. In Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones (2002), thousands of clonetroopers are created as soldiers during the clone wars. In these films, cloning concepts are more futuristic than realistic. Still an area of fascination in the second decade of the twenty-first century, the 2018 Keanu Reeves film Replicas follows his character as he attempts to use biotechnology to clone his family members who died in a recent car crash; this film also tackles the idea of cloning the mind as well as the body.

Jurassic Park (1993) and its sequels captured worldwide attention for cloning. Those films are based on the concept that scientists cloned dinosaurs from DNA preserved in amber. Scientists criticize this film’s premise of cloning a dinosaur from fragments of ancient genetic material as improbable. If DNA from dinosaurs were recovered, it would almost certainly be far too degraded to make cloning possible.

Designer Plots

The media has explored the possibilities of manipulating genes to give characters unnatural advantages. Often these genetic changes create designer bodies in an almost eugenic effort to attain physical perfection and perceived superiority. These presentations usually simultaneously address determinism and how genes might control behavior.

In Gattaca (1997), genetically altered characters have power in a futuristic society over normal characters who are relegated to an underclass because of their imperfections. Vincent, a frustrated janitor who aspires to become an astronaut, uses DNA borrowed from a genetically superior man to gain admittance to the elite, enabling him to achieve his professional ambition.

In the 1999 film Deep Blue Sea, the possible consequences of genetic manipulation are explored when a team of researchers who have genetically altered the brains of several sharks in an effort to find a cure for Alzheimer's disease fight to survive against predators with increased intelligence.

Beginning in 2002, MTV aired Clone High, a cartoon featuring clones of significant historical leaders. These characters are presented as angst-ridden teenagers whom the scripts hint represent genetic determinism. For example, Joan of Arc is an atheist, suggesting that she might have been genetically prone to that behavior if she had not been influenced by cultural factors.

Age of Reality

Although they often contain inaccuracies, medical dramas have provided the lay public with more information about genetics. ER (1994-2009) is the best-known medical drama. Medical plotlines have become even more popular with the introduction of Grey’s Anatomy (2005–), Private Practice (2007–13), and House (2004–12). All these shows have featured individuals with rare genetic conditions and have helped audiences gain a more realistic perspective of how genetic information can affect individual lives and personal relationships. However, these shows often glamorize medicine and contain inaccuracies. For example, on an episode of Private Practice in 2007, Dr. Addison Montgomery orders genetic testing on a patient to determine if the patient carries a mutation for Huntington’s disease. Dr. Montgomery and the patient spend less than ten minutes talking about the advantages and disadvantages of having testing. In reality, the conversation about whether to have genetic testing is typically more involved and usually includes at least one meeting with a genetic counselor. During the genetic counseling session, the counselor speaks to the patient about the impact of genetic information on childbearing, insurance, personal relationships, finances, and career decisions. The scene on Private Practice greatly oversimplifies the genetic testing process and underestimates the impact that genetic information can have on a patient’s emotional well-being.

Along the same lines, many reality shows have featured individuals with genetic conditions. In 2006, the show Little People, Big World debuted on The Learning Channel (TLC). The show features a middle-aged couple, Matt and Amy Roloff, who both have a genetic skeletal dysplasia. They live on a farm in Oregon with their children. With the exception of their son Zac, all of their children are average-sized. The show provides firsthand perspective on what life is like for an individual with a skeletal dysplasia as scenes depict the family participating in everyday activities such as attending school or work, driving a car, and grocery shopping. Likewise, the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, which began in 2004, features a cast of construction workers and a design team who provide home renovations for families who have experienced a crisis. Families on the show have experienced natural disasters or the death of a family member, while others have a family member who is struggling with significant medical issues. Many individuals on the show have had rare genetic conditions, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, spinal muscular atrophy, or Crouzon syndrome. In 2016, the series Two in a Million aired on TLC, in which two people with some of the rarest genetic conditions, such as Schwartz-Jampel syndrome, are brought together to share their experiences.

Although these reality television shows are thought to be voyeuristic by some critics, they generally provide viewers with a more complete understanding of the daily struggles faced by people affected with a genetic condition. At the same time, these shows help audiences notice similarities in the human condition for all individuals, regardless of their genetic makeup. As a result, genetic conditions become more commonplace and less mysterious, which has subsequently started to erode the lay public’s association of genetic conditions with science fiction and alternate realities.

Superhuman Abilities

In the twenty-first century, films based on comic-book characters have put further focus on the concepts of genetic mutation and alteration. The series of films featuring the X-Men, which began with X-Men in 2000, takes on themes such as prejudice through characters who are born with a gene mutation that manifests as superhuman abilities as they grow older. In the series, which includes 2016's X-Men: Apocalypse, the X-Men often struggle to find acceptance and coexist with those who do not have such abilities. In 2017, Fox began airing the series The Gifted, about a similar group of humans who have special powers due to genetic mutation. At the same time, films such as those that follow the story of the Marvel character Peter Parker explore the concept of genetic alteration through external stimuli. In the case of Parker, the first film in the series, Spider-Man (2002), details how a bite from a genetically engineered spider leads to an alteration in his own genes that gives him powers that enable him to be the heroic Spider-Man.

Reactions

Although films and television programs expand awareness of genetics, historically these media have not been reliable educational resources and often perpetuate misunderstandings. Films and television series often offer simplified depictions of complex scientific processes, suggesting they require minimal time and effort. As a result, viewers develop unrealistic expectations of biotechnology and underestimate the tremendous impact of genetic information. It is important for the public to have an accurate understanding of biotechnology and genetics so that they do not reject the idea of new technologies based upon incorrect assumptions. In order to improve depictions, some scientists have served as genetics advisers for film and television productions.

Key terms

• eugenicsthe selective application of genetics to produce superior offspring
• genetic determinismhow genes might influence behavioral characteristics

Bibliography

DeSalle, Robert, and David Lindley. The Science of “Jurassic Park” and “The Lost World”.

Glassy, Mark C. The Biology of Science Fiction Cinema. McFarland, 2001.

Haran, Joan, et al. Human Cloning in the Media: From Science Fiction to Science Practice. Routledge, 2008.

Perkowitz, Sidney. Hollywood Science: Movies, Science, and the End of the World. Columbia UP, 2007. .

Simon, Anne. The Real Science Behind “The X-Files”: Microbes, Meteorites, and Mutants. Simon & Schuster, 1999.

Tinker, Ben. "'Two in a Million': TLC Show Pairs People with Rare Medical Conditions." CNN, 6 Apr. 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/04/06/health/rare-medical-conditions-two-in-a-million-tlc/index.html. Accessed 6 Sept. 2024.

Turney, Jon. Frankenstein’s Footsteps: Science, Genetics, and Popular Culture. Yale UP, 1998.